Pasta Del Giorno delivers old-school Italian to Miami

Despite being made to order and consisting of only the freshest ingredients, a dish delivered to the table at Pasta Del Giorno has, in a way, taken three generations to arrive there.

Husband-and-wife proprietors Ariel Rodriguez and Fabiana Pavese oversee daily operations of the restaurant. Mrs. Pavese developed the menu with head chef Jamie Aird and her uncle,

“Tio” Julio Arancibia. However, they all credit “Nona” Arancibia, Julio’s mother and Fabiana’s grandmother, with coming up with the original recipes. Tio Julio has already put his mother’s time-tested methods, which combine classic Italian dishes with Argentinean meats, to good use. This is the third restaurant he has opened.

“His parents were Italian, they moved to Argentina, but he speaks the language and knows old school Italian cuisine,” says Rodriguez.

The color scheme is classic Italian fare, consisting of olive green, brick red and ivory white. Set up outside are two tables ideal for romantic candlelight dining, while the interior’s old fashioned décor and tastefully dim lighting are complimented by a traditional Italian soundtrack. The place is spotless. On Friday evenings they have live music and they plan on having an Argentinean-themed night either Saturday or Sunday, during which they will expand their menu to include skirt steaks, black sausages, empanadas and provoletas.

Pasta Del Giorno currently has four menus – breakfast, lunch, early bird and dinner – and they have something reasonably priced for everyone, from homemade soups and fresh, custommade salads to fish, pizza and, of course, pastas.

One signature dish is their classic lasagna, which is an absolute musthave for cheese lovers. Topped with a heavy coating of mozzarella, freshly shaved parmesan, béchamel sauce and a delicate drizzle of olive oil, its robust tomato sauce, creamy ricotta cheese and fresh meat make it sing with flavor.

People watching their carbohydrate intake may just want to come in a little earlier to enjoy it.

“A lot of people try to stay away from carbs, but the body needs them, so if you eat pasta early enough you have all day to burn it,” says Rodriguez. “We want people to give us an opportunity to be the place they come to for lunch, so come on in and we’ll get you out of here happy and satisfied in 25 to 30 minutes.”

The Pasta Del Giorno staff is very well groomed, friendly and attentive. The back of the house is run by Jaime Aird, whose first job in the restaurant business was with Tio Julio when he was only 11 years old.

The passion he discovered for food during that time led to a life pursuing greatness in the culinary arts. Having just recently left stints running the kitchens at the Waldorf Astoria and the Equestrian Club, his return to the family he began his journey with is something of a homecoming.

“That’s what we bring to the table: Jaime’s talents, our service, the family atmosphere, from the moment you sit down forward, we want you to feel like you’re at home,” says Rodriguez. “Like we say, this is ‘la ristorante di famiglia,’ a family restaurant, run by our family.”

Pasta Del Giorno offers catering and delivery services, is located at 8739 SW 136 St. and is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.